


Misunderstanding

by LivinLaVidaLisa



Series: Stories of Thedas II (Dragon Age Writing Prompts) [21]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff and Angst, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-21
Updated: 2021-03-21
Packaged: 2021-03-23 18:28:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30059721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LivinLaVidaLisa/pseuds/LivinLaVidaLisa
Summary: 21. MisunderstandingCole helps Evelyn and Cullen.
Relationships: Cole & Female Trevelyan (Dragon Age), Cole & Inquisitor (Dragon Age), Cullen Rutherford/Female Trevelyan, Female Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford
Series: Stories of Thedas II (Dragon Age Writing Prompts) [21]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2172069
Kudos: 6





	Misunderstanding

**Author's Note:**

> Coles lines about Cullen make me feel warm and fuzzy on the inside yet somehow also gut me ??  
> i just think Cullen should be hugged at all times at any given moment like is that so much to ask ????
> 
> "Safe and solid. Protecting and Proud. Stronger when you hold him."

Evelyn laid in her bed facing away from her windows and silently let her tears stream down her face. Dread pooled at the pit of her stomach and she curled into a tight ball to relieve herself of the stress, but it didn't work. She tried to sleep, but it was still early and too wound up, she doubted she could get any sleep tonight. Instead she was distracted with replaying the events from her day over and over in her head.

During the war room meeting with her advisers, Evelyn noticed Cullen was more irritated than normal. Her heart hurt seeing him this way to she tried to think of ways she might cheer him up. Unfortunately, that meant she hadn't been paying attention to Cullen's report, he slammed his fists on the table, scattering some pieces off and around the map, and gave Evelyn a stern look. He was angry with her. She had tried to apologize but Cullen wouldn't hear it. He pinched the bridge of his nose, shook his head, apologized to her for his outburst and repeated his report to her. Evelyn had never felt like such a disappointment before, her mind reeled remembering the frustrated expression on his face he wore for the rest of the meeting. Maker, Evelyn hated being a bother.

After the meeting Evelyn had no time to pull Cullen to the side and clear the air as he quickly gathered his reports and stormed out the war room. He clearly didn't want to even look at her. Evelyn muffled a sob into pillow, not wishing anyone who might have strayed to close to her chambers to over hear their Inquisitor weeping like a small child. She quietly whispered a short prayer to the Maker and Andraste that Cullen would forgive her. 

Varric had noticed she wasn't her normal self asked her to join him and the others in a game of wicked grace but she wasn't feeling up to it, knowing full well that the mood she was in would put everyone else down. Evelyn just didn't want to be a bother, not like how she bothered Cullen. It was better for her to be alone and cry herself to sleep, better to not burden anyone with her problems. She didn't want anyone to see her like this, but she hated being so alone. Evelyn hugged her knees to her chest and pressed them as hard as she could, hoping the tension would exhaust her and bring her closer to sleep.

"Annoyed, and angry. Bothersome and bothered," a gentle voice spoke out to her from her window. "Maker, please if you're listening don't let him hate me too. Not him."

"Cole," Evelyn sighed without turning to see him, "please, I don't need your help right now."

Cole suddenly and yet so slowly stepped into Evelyn's view, now in front of her he crouched down to be eye level with her. "Yes, you do. I can feel it. I can help."

"Then, I don't want your help," Evelyn puffed away a strand of hair that draped across her eyes to better glare at Cole.

"Yes, you do," Cole said as matter of fact. "Banging, burden, bellowing, brood. Mother hated seeing tears and tiny grubbing hands. Don't be a disappointment, you're a Trevelyan." He paused and looked directly at Evelyn, "you want help, but you're afraid of being a nuisance to everyone else. Burrowing, burring, beneath a lady Trevelyan. But you're more than just a Trevelyan now. More than a lady or herald."

Evelyn groaned and pulled her blanket over her head, "I can't be more than what I am Cole."

"It's not what you are. It's _who_ you are," Cole placed a comforting hand on Evelyn's shoulder and and slowly pulled down her blanket just enough for her to see Cole's eyes go distant, as if he was reaching into the fade. "Dancing, dazzling eyes, shimmering brightly through the darkness. Maker, I pray for her safety. Let her come back to me. Let her come home." Cole quickly focused back onto Evelyn, "He doesn't hate you, you know."

Evelyn's eyes misted over, "maybe not," she said meekly, "but Cullen _is_ angry with me." 

"Angry agitation. Always quick to temper. Maker's breath, I'm an ass." Evelyn allowed Cole to pull down her blanket to fully see her face, "he is angry, but not at you." Evelyn sat up straight and looked at the boy quizzically. "He's angry yes, but at himself. Safe and solid. Protecting and Proud. He wants to be strong for you but the voices are too loud today he can't think and he won't let me help. He can't hear me."

A gasp escaped Evelyn as a sudden realization hit her, "Cole, is Cullen suffering through another..." she struggled for a moment trying to find the right words, Cullen hadn't been taking lyrium for a while now and it hadn't been all that long ago when his withdrawals had almost pushed him over the edge and out of the Inquisition. Not that Evelyn would have allowed that. "Is he hurting?"

Cole nodded solemnly, "but he's stronger when you hold him."

She felt like a fool for not noticing the signs earlier. Cullen had been suffering and she was too absorbed in her own doubts to have seen it. No matter now. Cullen needed her, and if she was being honest, she need him as well. Evelyn scrambled out of bed and adjusted her clothing to seem presentable, she was glad she had been too distracted and upset to bother changing clothes. Her hair, on the other hand, was a mess, she quickly pulled it from her braids and brushed her fingers through the strands as she dashed out her door to Cullen's tower. 

**Author's Note:**

> writing Cole is hard


End file.
